Tackled by the Girl Next Door (7 page)
Read Tackled by the Girl Next Door Online
Authors: Susan Scott Shelley,Veronica Forand
Tags: #Contemporary, #Best Friends
He should have changed. His black suit was wrinkled from the flight, and he’d ripped off his tie before leaving the stadium. Not the best outfit for a reunion, but his presence mattered more than his appearance.
Through the window, he saw Sam, in a tight tank top and purple plaid pajama bottoms, step out of the kitchen. A man could get used to coming home to a sexy woman dressed like that every day. She tugged the door open and stared at him. A frown emerged on her face. So much for a hero’s welcome.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in LA?”
“I prefer Glynneath.”
She stepped back. He slid past her and headed to the couch.
“How’s Kevin?”
“He’s better.”
“Did you hit him on the head with a drumstick for me?”
She laughed. “I didn’t need to, he apologized. In fact, we had a really great conversation.” Hesitant steps brought her closer to him. Her hands linked together and the dimple in her cheek disappeared. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s Thanksgiving, and I never had a chance to tell you what I’m thankful for.” He sat down and rested his legs on the coffee table.
Her eyes stayed focused on the rug. “First, I need to apologize for the way I reacted to your job offer yesterday. It wasn’t my place to tell you what to do with your life.”
He disagreed. He intended to be a part of her life whether she knew she wanted him or not, and her dreams and desires mattered as much as his. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
Grasping her hand, he pulled her onto the couch, next to him. He lifted her chin so her eyes couldn’t look away from his. “I’m thankful the team didn’t renew my contract.”
Her eyebrows narrowed. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”
“By not renewing my contract, I was forced to look at what I wanted out of life and I found a new career I love.”
“I’m glad for you.” She didn’t look too pleased. Not with those luscious lips all pinched together.
“And with this new clarity and this new career, it opens up possibilities I never imagined.”
“That’s terrific.” She managed a half-hearted smile. A tear fell from her right eye, leaving a shiny streak down her face. Another in her left eye was poised to let go any second. “I’m glad everything worked out for you.”
He wanted to hold her tight, but she wasn’t ready. “It took a few hours of negotiating with my agent leading the charge, but I received everything I asked for in the contract.”
“I know you’re joining the guys in the booth for the rest of the season.”
“Did you know I’m only obligated to work Sundays, and the championship and all-star games?”
“No. That’s great, but—”
He placed his finger over her lips to keep her quiet. “Did you know I only have to go to the station two days per week during the season?”
“Good.” Her voice sounded muffled under his finger. She tried to shift away, but he placed one hand behind her head, the other covering her mouth, and kissed the tip of her nose.
“Keep talking, O’Brien, and I’m going to gag you.”
Her eyes burned with the intensity of a firestorm. He loved that passion she rarely showed the outside world.
“Anyway, the thing is, I’m only required to be at headquarters in LA once a month, maybe twice during December and January.
For the rest, I’m working from the New York City affiliate. I thought I’d sell my place in California and buy something in New York. We can commute between here and the city.
”
He loosened his grip on her and watched her mouth fall open. The gears eventually turned, because a friendly spark lit up her eyes.
“We?” she asked after a long pause.
“Us. You and me.”
“I have a job.”
“You hate your job.”
“My brother.”
“Will be back in school in a few weeks after his leg heals, and then we get the couch all to ourselves again.”
She shook her head and rolled her eyes as though he was crazy. “But I’m not your type.”
He couldn’t stop the grin from taking over his facial muscles. She had no clue how special she was. “You’re exactly my type. Smart, beautiful, funny, athletic, your brownies are almost better than sex, but seriously, nothing tops sex with you.”
He took off the enormous gold ring embellished with a three-carat diamond and the year he won team MVP and held it out to her. “We’ll have to pick out a more appropriate ring when the stores open. For now...”
He dropped to one knee, clasped her tiny hand, and placed the ring on her ring finger. “Marry me, Sam. You’re the only thing in life I can’t live without.”
Seconds seemed like hours as he waited. She stared at the ring, her face blank. She couldn’t say no, could she? His throat tightened, and he almost asked her again in case she didn’t hear him. Then her entire body shifted into a lighter, more relaxed state as the smile he dreamed about emerged.
“Yes, I’ll definitely marry you.”
She sat down on his knee, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him. Waves of euphoria rolled through his heart. He lifted her up and carried her to the kitchen. Without letting her down, he grabbed the pint of ice cream from the counter.
“What are you doing?”
“I’ve tasted an assortment of food on your face. I’m curious to see how food tastes on the rest of you.”
With that, he carried his fiancée up the stairs.
A word about the authors...
Susan Scott Shelley is an award-winning author of contemporary romance and romantic suspense. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and enjoys running, sports, hard rock music, and old Hollywood movies. A city girl at heart, she resides outside of Philadelphia with her very own superhero and spends her days writing about tough heroes, smart heroines, and love being the strongest magic there is.
Please visit Susan at
http://www.susanscottshelley.com.
~*~
Veronica Forand is an attorney and an award-winning author of romantic suspense. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America. She’s lived in Boston, London, Paris, Geneva, and Washington, DC, and is currently residing near Philadelphia. An avid traveler, she enjoys roaming across five continents with her husband and children in pursuit of skiing, scuba diving, and finding the perfect piece of chocolate.
Find her at http://www.veronicaforand.com.
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